Tips, tactics and strategies to help you have a Perfect Workday AND a lighter heart.

Monday, October 9, 2017

Take the Easy Way

A very good friend is trying to sell her house and yesterday I worked like a field hand helping her get her yard and house ready to show.

I spent a fair amount of time raking leaves into piles and then using a snow shovel to scoop and carry the leaves to a spot at the back of the yard.

And yes, there was a leaf-blower (I can hear some of you detail dragons, “WHY NOT USE THE LEAF BLOWER?!), but it was being used in another area part of the yard.

Two thoughts occurred to me and both addressed the fact that I was working too hard. When I started raking I was using the same amount of energy to rake a few leaves as I was using when trying to rake a pile of them. Just hard-raking the grass—you know what I’m talking about.

After awhile my forearms started to ache so I naturally started easing up when raking a few leaves. It gave my arms some rest. I realized my mistake and, in some areas, raked more easily.

When I had a good-sized pile I’d scoop as many leaves as I could with the snow shovel. When carrying the loaded shovel palm up I noticed my wrist starting to hurt because it was in a severe position. (I know, I know…and I’m not going to use the I get the senior discount at Golden Corral excuse)

So, I flipped my hand over so I was palm down and WALLAH! (See, I know you jumped on that one, too!! Yes, it’s VOILA!), no more pain.

Our bodies are often smarter than our heads and will show us, through pain, a better way.

What if we looked at life like that?

Believe me, I’ve spent 50+ years in gyms and have been an Arnold fan forever so I understand the No Pain, No Gain ethos. But, even the most hardcore bodybuilders now understand that that was more PR than reality.

Let you body—let your life—show you the best way. What brings you happiness, joy, laughter and a higher vibration?

Try that!

If it doesn’t work you can always go back to beating yourself up.

If you know someone who is working waaaaay too hard at life, send them this.

And, if you know someone who jumped on those few points that didn’t really matter, tell’em to lighten up.

Contact

Mike Collins is president of The Perfect Workday Company, an information company based in The Research Triangle Region of North Carolina. He presents 100+ programs a year for organizations such as IBM, American Express, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals and The John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School and Center.